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Steamed Alaskan King Crab Legs with Beurre Blanc for Dipping

 Noble Pig SubZero Steamer 6

There is nothing like king crab when it comes to flavor and presentation. It’s sweet, succulent, snowy white in appearance and an absolute family favorite meal. Let’s face it, it’s hard not to gawk at these beautiful limbs when peering into the seafood counter. They are impressive. But don’t be intimidated by them, they are so easy to prepare.

King crab are the largest crabs in the world and live in the very cold waters off Alaska and parts of Russia. The Alaskan crabs are big and meaty because they are caught just before molting. We are so lucky these legs are available year-round due to the abundant catch during crab season, which is only 3 months a year. 

This variety of crab is usually not sold live. They are cleaned and cooked almost immediately after being caught and then frozen. So don’t refreeze them once you get them home, since they have most likely already been thawed. Enjoy them within-1-2 days of purchase.

Noble Pig SubZero Steamer 9
To prepare my steamed crab with ease, I used my Wolf Steamer in our kitchen’s center island. Let me just say, if you are planning a new kitchen in the near future, I would seriously consider adding this or one of the other Wolf 15″ integrated modules to your wishlist. 

Noble Pig SubZero Steamer 10
At first, I wasn’t sure I would really use this module as much as I do. But, oh my goodness, it’s an amazing feature to have available in my kitchen. With perforated and solid basket inserts, I am able to make all kinds of things; rice, poached fish and steamed buns to name a few. 

I even proof dough in my steamer and make aromatic potpourris, which makes the house smell wonderful during the holidays. The uses are endless and having it available has really improved the functionality of my kitchen. It’s like having another burner on the stove, without having to own a very large pot to cook it all in. Did I mention how I quickly defrost food in the steamer? It’s a wonderful feature.

And look how seamlessly it blends into the countertop. Other options are to create a custom cooktop or add specialty functions alongside an existing cooktop or range. There are lots of choices when it comes to installing one of these modules. I wish I had room for them all…especially the deep fryer.

Noble Pig SubZero Steamer 11
Using the module is not complicated and comes with a child-safety lock. With a few touches, your water is at boiling temperature in a matter of minutes. 

Noble Pig SubZero Steamer 1
My steamer is next to a sink, making it easy to fill and draining it requires only the touch of a button. It’s simple to clean so I am never shy to use it.

Noble Pig SubZero Steamer 2
The large capacity insert left me with more room than I needed for the crab. I could have easily placed another pound or two into the basket.

Normally I would have had to cut the crabs legs to fit into my steamer pot on the stove. The Wolf steamer allowed me to keep the impressive looking legs whole, which I wanted for presentation purposes.

Noble Pig SubZero Steamer 3
The lid is very durable and seals tightly over the basket. Here the crab is steaming, as you can see by the condensation on the underside of the glass. It also means dinner is almost served.

Noble Pig SubZero Steamer 4
When ready, just remove the lid and remove the basket using potholders. You can also leave the food in place and use this module as part of your buffet line. This works well in my kitchen, with other dishes in proximity on the counter. 

Noble Pig SubZero Steamer 5
While drawn butter is classic for crab, I thought it would be fun to put together an herby beurre blanc sauce for dipping. It’s creamy and buttery, with a little spicy-kick. It’s a wonderful way to take your crab legs up a notch and let me use up some of the prolific herbs growing in my garden. Give this sauce a try next time you serve crab.

Noble Pig SubZero Steamer 8

Print Recipe

Steamed Alaskan King Crab Legs with Beurre Blanc for Dipping

Recipe from: Created by Cathy Pollak for NoblePig.com | Serves: Makes 2 lbs crab legs and 3/4 cup sauce

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs Alaskan king crab legs, thawed and rinsed
  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
  • 4 cloves garlic, pressed
  • 2 Tablespoons shallots, minced
  • 3/4 cup white wine
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 2 Tablespoons minced fresh parsley
  • 2 Tablespoons minced fresh chives
  • Salt and lemon juice to taste
  • Lemon wedges

Directions

  • Fill steamer basin to the bottom marking with water. Cover the basin with glass lid. Touch ON OFF button to turn on steamer. Touch temperature to high. When preheat has disappeared from the glass surface, the water is boiling (it only takes a few minutes). Add crab to the perforated basket and place the basket in steamer. Cover with lid and steam for five minutes. Remove pan and set aside.
  • In a large saucepan, heat oil and 1 Tablespoon of butter over low heat. Saute garlic and shallots until softened; about 2 minutes. Add wine and red pepper flakes, turn up heat and simmer until liquid is reduced to about 3-4 Tablespoons. Reduce heat to low and whisk in remaining 7 Tablespoons of butter. Remove from heat and add cream, parsley and chives. Salt and squeeze some lemon juice for to taste.
  • Serve beurre blanc alongside crab legs with lemon wedges.

Noble Pig SubZero Steamer 12
I thought a little tutorial on how to get to the wonderful crab meat might be helpful. First of all, king crab is very spikey. Use a towel to hold on to the legs while you cut through the sections to avoid getting poked.

Each crab leg has a portion of the knuckle at its base. Using kitchen shears, remove this portion and easily take out the meat with a seafood fork. Next, cut the legs into smaller portions at each joint. Each portion can be easily accessed by cutting through the shell lengthwise. Cut along the lightly-colored area, it’s softer. Push the meat through with a fork. For the claw, place in a towel and cover. Use a mallet to crack the shell and pull out the meat.

Noble Pig SubZero Steamer 7
Enjoy your meal!

Join in the conversation and follow Sub-Zero and Wolf on Facebook. For more information on their appliances, visit Sub-Zero or Wolf online.

What Wolf cooking module would you love to have in your kitchen? Let me know in the comments. 

Be sure to visit the Sub-Zero and Wolf  brand page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ posts.

This post was sponsored by Sub-Zero and Wolf appliances as part of their “What’s Cookin’ in My Kitchen” campaign. Thank you for supporting companies I truly love, it allows me to continue creating content I can share with all of you.

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Comments

  2. I would love that Wolf Steamer module, it would be used each day..The crab and sauce looks yummmmmy, it is such a delicate taste in my opinion!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Summer still is here in Vancouver USA Washington, hot and more hot, kinda neat since October starts the raining season, hottest ever recorded evening temperatures for this town!!!!!!!!!! Have a delightful rest of the summer and nice autumn too, love your blog!

    Reply

  5. Oh these king crab legs have my mouth watering… Good thing I’m going to a seafood restaurant on Friday! That steamer is amazing… Definitely something I would want for my kitchen!

    Reply

  6. How about steaming a huge batch of summer harvest vegetables and then freezing them for the rest of the year!!! Love to have one of these epic kitchen tools…

    Reply

  10. My dream appliance would be the 6 burner Wolf oven….I want those red knobs in my kitchen!!! And I would love the subzero refrigerator……just waiting for the fairy godfather!!!

    Reply

  16. Oh wow. I already have a sink just about that size in my kitchen. We had it put in to use as a bar sink, but it’s so close to the regular sink that we really don’t need it. I could put in a Wolf Steamer! It looks like it’s the perfect size. Will pursue this further. Thanks for the information!

    Reply

  34. If I could choose any item it would be the the Wolf L Series 36″ Built-In Single Oven. At over $5,000 that’s not about to happen any time soon!
    I choose the Induction Cooktop Module which is near the top of my wish list.

    Reply

  38. Wow! You make great points in favor of the steamer, but this girl would NEVER pass up on the chance to have an integrated deep fryer right in her kitchen! My arteries are clogging at the mere thought of it.

    Reply

  47. That steamer is amazing! One day, I’ll have a real kitchen with one just like it. Tonight though, I’ll just bake my King Crab legs….thanks for the inspiration đŸ™‚

    Reply

  50. My family usually chooses lemon butter as our standard choice for dipping seafood, but I’ll have to try this beurre blanc sometime! My first choice of unit for my kitchen would probably be the grill, but this recipe might push the steamer into first place!

    Reply

  51. The modules are totally awesome. It’s hard to decide which I would want most. The steamer would come in handy, but the grill would too! Love them all.

    Reply

  60. Oh, those crab legs look so delicious. I’m going to have some for my birthday (the big 50) and am going use beurre blanc along side the drawn butter. you are wicked, tempting us like that.

    I would marry those Wolf warming drawers. For life.

    Reply

  70. I live in a retirement community with a great full service dining room, so have no need for this or any kitchen equipment, but this looks amazing. I’ll tell my kids about it.

    Reply

  72. I would love the Wolf Steamer. I eat seafood almost every day and I would love to be able to steam. I have been trying to eat healthier and use coconut oil and ghee but would love to skip both and just steam. Thanks for the opportunity.

    Reply

  83. The Wolf Steamer would be great! I would definitely put that to use everyday. However, my dream would be to have the 48″ Sealed Burner Rangetop. I would never leave the kitchen.

    Reply

  112. Kathy,
    This looks heavenly. I think this daily when I read your blog, but when are you going to publish a cookbook? I will be first in line to purchase one!! Your tweaks and suggestions bring everything up a notch and there is nothing I have made from your blog that isn’t fantastic!!

    Debra

    Reply

  114. I love kitchen appliances so its hard to choose. But your tutorial made me really want that steamer!! SO beautiful and I can think of a million uses for it.

    Reply

  142. I have never heard of these cooking modules before but viewed on the website and they are so awesome. I would love to have the Wolf 15″ Grill to begin with.

    Reply

  145. I love my Wolf range and I so wish I had the steamer module! I’ve loved it ever since I saw it used in a demonstration. Your post only makes me want it more!

    Reply

  164. While the steamer basket is quite appealing, living in South Louisiana makes me drawn to the deep fryer. It would be a tough choice. (We don’t steam crabs down here. Like crawfish, crabs are boiled in Zatarain’s crab boil with extra lemons, onions, potatoes, and garlic!)

    Reply

  179. The Wolf steamer looks like it would be a great addition to any kitchen! We just got back from Portland with tons of extra crab that would be perfectly cooked in it!

    Reply

  186. I would love the Wolf Transitional Induction Cooktop or the Grill Module. Honestly, I didn’t know some of these things even existed as options, like your Steamer module. It would be fun to have them all! Thank you.

    Reply

  218. My husband is the Captain of Seattle based F/V Baranof and is crabbing in Alaska as I write this…we cook a lot of King Crab on our house and that steamer sure would come in handy! I love all the appliances that were featured in this article and will be trying that sauce soon! Pray for the safety of all our guys up in Alaska during this storm that is coming through!

    Reply

  219. Plate presentation is one thing, but enjoying this delicacy while still steaming hot is a sure thing if one purchases split king crab legs. The difference in the price is far overshadowed with the ease of eating this product compared to cracking the shells.

    Reply

  222. I wish king crab was not so pricey in my area! This dish looks so yummy! Oh, And I do love your kitchen! I would love a beautiful kitchen like this! I would never leave it!

    Reply

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